Carsington Bird Club Events News

News Items

**********     Membership News     **********

From 1st January 2025, membership joining fees have changed – see link here.

CBC Meeting Schedule for 2025/26 commences in September.
Indoor meetings are held in the Carsington Water Visitor Centre – starting at 19.30h.

** TUESDAY, 16 SEPTEMBER ** – Talk: The birds and wildlife of south-west Turkey; Gary Hobson describes this multi-habitat area sitting at the edge of Europe and Asia.

** SUNDAY, 12 OCTOBER ** – We jump in our cars for a club trip to the RSPB’s excellent reserve at Burton Mere on the Wirral.  We aim to arrive at the visitor centre by 10.30am.  Contact Chris Lamb (see details at the end of the newsletter) if you wish to come along.  A lift could be available for those not wishing to drive.

** TUESDAY, 14 OCTOBER ** – Talk: The British Trust for Ornithology; Jon Potts describes the important work undertaken by the BTO (note that, unusually, this is the second Tuesday of the month).

** TUESDAY, 18 NOVEMBER ** – Talk: India – Land of the Tiger; the ever-entertaining Tony Davison tells us about his trip last year where he encountered a plethora of birdlife … and the iconic Bengal Tiger.

** TUESDAY, 16 DECEMBER ** – Talk: Birds and Islands; David Parkin reprises the presentation on the evolution of birdlife on island that he was due to give us last season before an injury forced him to postpone.

If you need a lift – or for any more information – contact Chris Lamb [ cflamb@yahoo.co.uk ], who will be able to offer help.
Other Activities

– First Sunday of the month – Birdwatching for Beginners – Meet Visitor Centre (10am-12 noon)

Please Note:   

Almost invariably held on the first Sunday of the month (meet in the courtyard at 10am – but please book with reception if you intend to come).

Outdoor Activities

For Severn Trent’s spring programme, it’s often sensible to book a place with the visitor centre (on 01629 540696).

News

Plight of the Swift

Now we are in August, many chicks and adult Swifts have already left for Africa after what looks to have been a mixed breeding season across the UK, with some colonies further south doing well while others seem to have fared badly due to the cold, wet weather.

There have many reports of desperately starving and underweight swiftlets found in recent weeks as adults have been unable to find enough insects in the cold and rain, and so have either favoured a stronger chick or  abandoned the brood altogether.  If you find a young Swift out of the nest bring them indoors and arrange a source of warmth (such as a hot water bottle filled with warm water and wrapped in a tea towel). But please don’t feed them. Then find an experienced rehabber from this list: 

Carsington Bird Club Events Member Reports News

BTO BREEDING BIRD SURVEY

The BTO’s Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) monitors the population changes of over 100 species across the UK through the efforts of volunteers who survey their randomly selected 1km square each spring. It is a great way to make your birdwatching count. The only requirement is that you are able to confidently identify the species you are likely to encounter in a given square by sight and sound.

The survey involves a recce visit to assess the habitat, and two early-morning spring visits to count all the birds that you see or hear while walking two 1km lines (transects) across the square, plus nest counts for any colonial species. You can optionally record any mammals that you come across, and visit the square later in the season to look for butterflies. Data can be entered to BBS-Online or paper copies can be returned for input by the BTO.

For BBS purposes, Derbyshire is divided into two regions, North and South. There are currently between 20 and 25 squares available in each region, covering a wide range of habitats. There is also one Waterways BBS stretch available, on the Barlow Brook south of Dronfield. You can find much more information online at https://www.bto.org/our-science/projects/breeding-bird-survey.

To see what squares are available in your area, click on ‘Taking part’, look for either Derbyshire (North) or Derbyshire (South) and you will see in which 10km squares there are squares available. You can register your interest online or contact me at simonroddis@yahoo.co.uk, and we’ll try to identify a square which will work for you.

The maps below show the available squares in each part of the county as at 16 December 2022.

Derbyshire North

Derbyshire South

An article by Simon Roddis.

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